It's true that I didn't want to write about this. I had hoped to publish an optimistic and patriotic Fourth of July post that proclaimed the beauty of America and the limitless potential of our nation. Also, I wanted to talk about the amazing economy, the vibrant stock market, and the peace and love of our time however that wasn't to be.
I'll go over the numbers in just a minute, but I'll be able to summarize them with one word: the percentage of Americans who feel at peace with their nation has decreased. It's a long way down.
But I'm not going to just lay down! I have a reason and it's not bad. This country isn't bad regardless of the polls. So, hold your horses, I'll be discussing them shortly–there's nothing to be worried about. There are two main reasons Americans are so negative, and, not surprising given the current political climate, they tend to fall along the lines of party affiliation.
The first is that Democrats represent the professional Misery Crowd and they like to proclaim that everything in America is unclean and stained by the actions of people centuries ago, but ignoring it's true that America has accomplished a lot of good in the decades since – releasing slaves and saving the world during the two World Wars, enacting Civil Rights laws; the list continues. The Democrats are also in constant wrangling about the recent Supreme Court rulings, so it's not surprising they're not happy.
Two, a huge number of Republicans who aren't feeling proud of our country currently have more to do with the administration in power rather than our beliefs and our history. Republicans are often viewed as more patriotic and devoted to America than Democrats, however, it's no surprise that they're struggling in the current administration's record levels of inflation, alarmingly high crime rates, political divisions, and repressive policies on energy. But that doesn't mean they don't appreciate America, at least, the America they have in their minds just a few months in the past.
Ok, now here are some numbers. Sigh.
This Fox News poll was released on Thursday. It revealed that just 39 percent of respondents said the status of “proud of the country today,” dropping by 12 percentage points from the June 2017 poll (the most recent time this poll was conducted) and 30 points from June 2011.
Yeah. This isn't something I'd like to cover as we go towards the nation's celebration of its beginnings.
“The question has been asked four times, it is the first time the majority of people are disappointed with the country. 56% don't feel proud which is up from 46 percent in 2017 and just 28 percent in 2011.”
But wait, there's more good news! Black voters actually like the US more.
Black voters are still in the “not proud” column, however, the margin is decreasing from a 28-point advantage in the past five years to 9-point gap in the present.
Progress!
The largest drop was seen among Republicans that had been “proud” by a 31-point margin in 2017, however, they were “not proud” by 24 points in the latest poll. In my opinion, it is clear that the poll doesn't reveal what it claims to show – that Republicans do not like America, but they're unhappy with the current system. You will see the numbers go up again when the Red Wave comes in November.
Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducted the Fox News poll with Republican Daron Shaw, appears to be in agreement with me on the fact that this poll more focused on politics and not the love for our country:
When having pride in America was considered an essential requirement to being patriotic, this is now a thing of the past due to the partisanship of our times. For many, the pride and patriotism of Americans are not about our freedoms as a democracy instead the individual at the White House.
It's a shame that many Americans do not consider themselves “proud” of a country which has done many good things for the entire world. A large part of this is due to the conflicting Biden Administration that has brought this nation to its knees on a variety of levels. I'm still hopeful, however that, starting in November, when we begin to eliminate these zealots, the country will regain its dominating standing on the world scene and people will feel privileged to be a part in the Great Experiment that is the United States of America.
